Tire-chain tool



Patented Jan. 26, 1926.

WILLIA'MN. PORTER, oflLE'IeIiyN-SKA;

Application 'leafJulyfm, 192i.- 1sealara'172712532 To Aall 'whom-it may. concern Beit' known thatfI, VILLIAM N; PORTER;

al citizen of the- United States,rresiding atA Leigh, in .thefcounty ofl Colfax andi State: ofl Nebraska, havev invented..certain:new kand useful.v improvements in Tire-'Chain Tools,

ofawhicli the following is a specification".`

My invention'relatesto a tool for-:stretching. tire `chains in assembling the same iupon pneumatic tire wheels. It 1s a well-known fact: that tire chains-caribe put on'wheels onlywith great vdiliiculty ais'they require considerable'stretching in orderto'place them tightly'in position.` By the'use ofthe present'Y chain stretching tool, Vit is: possible'l in avery short time to place the chains around. the? wheels even'by a perso-n not possessing a f great'dealfof strength- The chains properly ti'g'htened in this: inanner cz'innotf become de tached from the wheels durin therunning of I=the :caras isoften the 'case vhen fthey are not put on suficiently taut. Another advantage? of y'the-'use yof this tool is lthiat with the chains stretched there will be no unnecessary noise when running the car as upon the chains striking against the back end of the running board. Still another advantage gained by the use of the tool is that both the chains and the tires will last longer as there will be less grinding and wear than if the chains fit loosely.

In the accompanying drawing, one embodiment of the invention isillustrated, and Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a vehiclewheel with the tool shown in position for tightening the chain;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure' 1.

In the drawing, the reference -numeral 10 represents a pneumatic tire of a vehicle Wheel around which the chains are tobe applied. The reference numeral 11 represents transverse short chains, while the numeral 12 represents the circumferential chains which may be of any suitable kind. One of the loose ends of the circumferential chains carries the usual locking device 13 which consists of a lower hook member 14 provided with a series of notches 15 for engaging a loose link of the other end of the chain. A cap member 16 of this device is hinged, as at 17, and adapted to close over the hook member 14 and be secured in position by means of a pinengagingin apertures 18. Y

The tool v`1 9is Ymade fin theLshapeof a p'air of levers pivotedl together,'.as'iati 20, and

provided with :two:v gripping'. jafwsa 21 ter-Vy minatingv with inwardly" bentffingers 22.

Thefonterends 23; ofthev levers lSprovide .opl er ating arms 1 for bi'ingingthe aws" together. dur-ing the: use"I ofthe tool.- One' ofthe operating arms'jy 23 carries" an varcuate rack bar 2t swiveledon-tthe arm, as `at525. 'This latter member is providedfwith" interna-l teeth 26" and exteriorfteeth27 all pointing ilnthe direction ofthe swiveled joint 25.

The other 'operating armlfisfb'ent tofde'fme a yyokev28 forfthe ratchet member 24:,` permitting. slightnseillation ofl the ratchet mem 4 ber in' the :longitudinal direction fofth'e arm. Extending across: said yoke 'lis' at cap` plate' 29 secured tot thef arm f by rivet's'SOJso that said plate-thusbraces lthe-'yokeas well.` as

reinforcesi thefv arm` atl said Lyokei i Inserted through i the yoke and throughV 'the cap Y plate are :p ins`r31 betweeni `whic'h the'rratchet'24 may slide in andi outs When l.pressed inwardly, the;

ratchet member will engage with one of its inner teeth 26, the innermost of the pins'31., while when pressed in the opposite dlrection one of the outer teeth 27 of the ratchet meniber will engage the outer pin 31 in a similar manner, thus locking the jaws 21 and preventing their opening. The reason for providing both inner and outer teeth on the ratchet Ymember is that a close setting of the tool may be possible because the inner and outer teeth are placed in staggered relation to each other.

YVhen a tire chain is to be put on, the hook of the inner one ofV the circumferential chains 12 is irst locked in a suitable link and previous to placing the chain around the wheel. After the transverse chains have been drawn across the tire, the tool 19 is applied, as indicated in Figure 1. Care should then be taken that the fingers 22 en gagel links which are between the nearest transverse chains 11, or, in other words, the right-hand finger 22 should engage a link beyond the transverse chain 11, while the other finger 22 should similarly engage a link near the other transversechain 11 so that none of the transverse chains will be positioned between the fingers when the tool would be difficult to properly stretch the circumferential chain 12. With the tool engaged as described, inward pressure is thereupon eXerted on the operating arms 23 to bring the fingers 22 together as far as pos-` sible while, when no more stretching takes place, the rack bar 24 is made to engage with one of its teeth with the corresponding pin 31 to hold the tool while the locking device 18 is secured to the free end of the circumferential chain 12 and the cap 16l closed and secured on the lower member 14. As soon as the circumferential chain 12 has been secured in this manner, the rack bar 24 is loosened from the locking pin 31, whereupon the tool is removed from the chain.

In order to detach the chain from a wheel, the lingers 22 of the tool are again inserted in links of the chain to slacken the portion between them and release the locking device 13, whereupon the chain can be removed without diiiiculty from the wheel. It will be evident that, when using the tool forming the subject-matter of the present invention in putting on a tire chain, this can be done in much shorter time than is possible in the usual way so that a driver can be miles away from the place where he put on his tire chains while a perso-n not provided with this tool will still be working to gethis chains in place. With the chains applied very tight around the pneumatic tires, the chains are not liable to ruin or wear the tires as much as if they were loose, thus preventing tire puncture and other accidents.

Having thus described the invention, l claim:

In a tire chain tool, the combination 0f a pair of crossed flat pivotally connected levers provided at their forward ends with fingers to engage a tire chain, the rear end portion of one of said levers being bent to form a yoke, a. plate secured'to said lever to extend across said yoke bracing the yoke and reinforcing the lever, spaced pins extending transversely through said yoke and plate. and rigidly supported at their ends thereby, and an arcuate rack bar pivoted upon the rear end portion of the other of said levers at the same side of said second mentioned lever with said first mentioned lever tol lie in a plane with said first mentioned lever and extending through said yoke beneath said plate freely between said pins, each edge of the bar being provided with teeth to engage said pins respective for adj ustably locking the rear ends of the levers against spreading movement and the teeth at each edge of the bar being staggered with respect Ato the teeth at the other edge of the bar to provide close spacing between the adjusted positions at which the levers may be locked. 5

In testimony whereof I a'IiiX my signature.

WILLIAM N. PORTER. [Le] 

